gbuff

Mid-Ohio is a shining example of this.....with the two configs the corner numbers are different. I've sat in classrooms where even the instructors are confused! Then you've got the corner worker stations--when a corner worker does the flag presentation he/she often uses their station numbers which can vary from the corner numbers (i.e. WGI)......so in short there's lots of room for confusion.

Gary (speaking of Mid-O, one more week to wait! OMG what a long winter it's been.....I'm getting the shakes thinking 'bout it)

RickyBobby

Indeed...BTDT

T&T Racing

IMO, Frank and.Peter have excellent posts. To close the loop,.I would purchase Adam Brouillard's 3 books on Perfect Corner and Perfect Control. He discusses the physics of racing. Check out his website at Paradigm Shift Racing

911Königin

+997

Veloce Raptor

In addition to what's been posted, also focus on fast sweeping corners where those with track familiarity are able to pick up significant time. Examples might be 1, 6, and 12 at Road Atlanta; 1 and Carousel at Road America; 5 and 6 at the Glen; 2 and 16-17-18 at COTA...

ProCoach

Yeah, sure feels like 188 corners at COTA!

T7 at Road America, T10 at Sonoma and T10 at the Glen will all get your attention in a fast car...

Matt Romanowski

The confusion on corning numbering is why I always bring a pad of track maps with me. This is what I use for Lime Rock. This ensures that everyone has the same understanding of the corner numbers.

For someone learning the track, it also gives them the opportunity to make all their notes on the map. Writing things down will really help ingrain them in your mind. The back side is great for self evaluation of how well you are driving each cornering and giving yourself a rating. After filling things out, you can quickly see where you have room to improve and where to focus your efforts.

Edit: I saw a post about updating your notes after the event. It's critical to update your notes immediately post session, every session. This is when the information is most fresh in your mind and you have all the small details available. The effectiveness of making notes later that night or the next day is significantly diminished if you do it after the day or the next day.

Veloce Raptor

Oops thanks Peter
Typo corrected !

ProCoach

Just funnin'! Good thread.

gbuff

Very true.....I do keep a journal and as soon as I'm out of the car (and the can ) I write. Sometimes after the last run of the event I want to pack up and hit the road so I wait until I get home to write and, yes, it's tough to recall all the details/nuances of what went on.

Gary

gbuff

Peter, I've got a slow car and it still gets my attention! Gotta be taken flat or my day is a failure

Gary

ProCoach

Same here, Gary!

needmoregarage

I agree with posts above.

I'd add that I try to find an elevation track map.

I too use multi modal as Ricky Bobby said, and I add one step: drawing the map freehand. I'm not an artist but when I can draw a circuit I know I've got it down. And if you can draw it with corner stations you've REALLY got it. Then add corner names/numbers as appropriate. I agree numbers can be confusing.

I also believe in "bench practice". Visualize a perfect lap based on your video and map studies - and then after your first day, drive perfect laps in your head before bed. For me - it helps everything gel.

I recently attended an instructor training with NRPCA. Vision was a big topic and I found this video VERY helpful. For me it helped to specify exactly where to look, and when to look there: Nico Hulkenburg eye tracking. I'd be interested ProCoach or Veloce Raptors, or other comments on the Video.

dntlvet

Corner workers are your safety net. Know where each corner worker is positioned.

Manifold

Learning a track is an iterative process. I suggest trying various approaches as discussed in this thread and making more use of the approaches that are working best for you, keeping in mind that the approaches which work best for you are also likely change over time, as you progress as a driver.